Slow cooked stews are my favorite. When you have cured Spanish Chorizo in your refrigerator, I’m sure you would want to put it to the best use. Stews are very easy to make and it is all about balancing the flavors and loads of patience. Either ways, whether you cook it fast or cook it for long the flavors don’t balance and you would be left with just a boiled broth!! Use the spices and herbs to complement the main ingredient, in this case Chorizo and use the spices and herbsthat will give a “Spike” in the broth which will take it to the next level.

Chorizo and Chickpea Stew

1 cup of Chorizo cut in to 1/3 inch slices
1 can of chickpeas drained and washed
1 can of whole tomatoes (or 3 peeled medium sized sweet tomatoes)
1000 ml chicken stock
1 large onion chopped
5 cloves of garlic cut in length
½ teaspoon brown sugar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon parsley
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp crushed black pepper
In a large heavy bottomed pot, add the olive oil on medium heat and add garlic and cook until its slightly golden. Then add the onions, cook until translucent and then add the chorizo. Increase the heat to high and then cook till the chorizo starts to turn brown and leave oil from the fat. Then add paprika, cayenne and sauté for a minute followed by tomatoes. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for another 10 minutes. Then add chickpeas, bay leaf, parsley and the stock and bring it to boil over medium heat. Then turn the heat down to simmer and cook for another 45 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Add brown sugar and potatoes and cook till potatoes are done ie approx. another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool for another 20 minutes and its ready to serve.

Some points to remember

1. If you brown the chorizo too much it will not release all the flavor and it also becomes very hard
2. If you cook the potatoes too much its flavor gets predominant and changes the whole balance.
3. Keep tasting the stew every 15 mins and see how the balance is developing and adjust it with salt and more broth if needed.